Bitter Sweet...Chocolate by Slave Labour

It is very likely the choocolate you are about to eat has
been produced by slave labour, primarily, child slave
labour.

For many years, West African cocoa beans have been produced
on small farms which use slave labour.

The Ivory Coast, (Cote d'Ivoire) produces about forty three
percent of the world's cocoa beans, which are essential for
chocolate.

These beans are bought at very low prices by the major
chocolate producers.

Slave traders find boys all over West Africa, primarily
Mali and sell them to farmers in Cote d'Ivoire.

There are about six hundred thousand chocolate farmers in
Cote d'Ivoire, most use slave labour.

Hershey and M&M Mars control 2/3rds of the chocolate market and
use large amounts of Cote d'Ivoire cocoa, hence are the leaders
in the use of slave labour.

Other companies which use chocolate produced by child slavery
are; Ben & Jerry's, Cadbury, Kraft, Nestle, and a number of others.

There are companies which only use cocoa that has not been
produced with slave labour; among them are, Cloud Nine, Dagoba,
Green and Blacks, Newman's own, etc.

The cocoa beans used by these companies often comes from
other nations where the farms are monitored and there are
various labour laws.

Some companies buy only Fair Trade Chocolate, and some,
like Rapunzel, initiated fair trade and ecology strict
guidelines.

Rapunzel's chocolate comes from Bolivia and the Dominican
Republic.

During the past few years, many organisations have
effectively informed the public of the true cost of
chocolate.

Most people, once aware, refuse to buy chocolate
produced by slave labour.

The most difficult thing is to become aware.